Romancing the Shadow - by Connie Zweig & Steve Wolf (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

AN UPDATED EDITION OF THE BREAKTHROUGH BOOK THAT LAUNCHED SHADOW-WORK INTO THE WORLD―WITH A NEW FOREWORD BY KEILA SHAHEEN AND A NEW PREFACE

The classic, provocative bestselling guide on shadow-work that "enables you to peel away the layers of your soul and get in touch with the purity of Being that lies within you" (Deepak Chopra, M.D.).

"My guiding light . . . The wisdom within its pages served as both an anchor and a compass, guiding me toward a deeper understanding of the greater human experience."--Keila Shaheen, author of the bestselling The Shadow-Work Journal

Beneath the social mask we wear every day, we have a hidden shadow side: an impulsive, wounded, sad, or isolated part that we generally try to ignore. But as therapists Connie Zweig and Steve Wolf show in this landmark book, the shadow can actually be a source of emotional richness and vitality, and acknowledging it can be a pathway to healing and living an authentic life. "Romancing the shadow"--meeting your dark side, accepting it for what it is, and learning to use its powerful energies in productive ways--is the challenging and exciting work that Zweig and Wolf offer in this practical, rewarding guide.

Drawing on the timeless teachings of Carl Jung and compelling stories of men and women whom they have helped in their clinical practices, Zweig and Wolf reveal how the shadow guides your choices in love, sex, marriage, friendship, work, and family life. With their innovative methods on shadow work, you can:
- uncover the unique patters and purpose of your shadow
- learn to defuse negative emotions
- reclaim forbidden or lost feelings
- achieve greater self-acceptance
- heal betrayal
- reimagine and re-create relationships
- cultivate compassion for others
- renew creative expression
- find purpose in your suffering

The shadow knows why good people sometimes do bad things. Romancing the shadow and learning to read the messages it encodes in daily life can deepen your consciousness, imagination, and soul.

From the Back Cover

Beneath the social mask we wear every day, we have a hidden shadow side: an impulsive, wounded, sad, or isolated part that we generally try to ignore. But as therapists Connie Zweig and Steve Wolf show in this landmark book, the shadow can actually be a source of emotional richness and vitality, and acknowledging it can be a pathway to healing and an authentic life. "Romancing the shadow" -- meeting your dark side, accepting it for what it is, and learning to use its powerful energies in productive ways -- is the challenging and exciting soul work that Zweig and Wolf offer in this practical, rewarding guide.

Drawing on the timeless teachings of Carl Jung and compelling stories of men and women whom they have helped in their clinical practices, Zweig and Wolf reveal how the shadow guides your choices in love, sex, marriage, friendship, work, and family life. With their innovative methods, you can uncover the unique patterns and purpose of your shadow and learn to defuse negative emotions; reclaim forbidden or lost feelings; achieve greater self-acceptance; heal betrayal; reimagine and re-create relationships; cultivate compassion for others; renew creative expression; and find purpose in your suffering.

The shadow knows why good people sometimes do bad things. Romancing the shadow and learning to read the messages it encodes in daily life can deepen your consciousness, imagination, and soul.

Review Quotes

"In their courageous book, Romancing the Shadow, Zweig and Wolf have offered a significant contribution to the understanding of the process of true healing."--Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D., author of Kitchen Table Wisdom

"A compelling, evocative book that brilliantly elucidates the shadow in straightforward language. Shadow-work is our greatest challenge to becoming a global village."--Marion Woodman, author of Dancing in the Flames: The Dark Goddess in the Transformation of Consciousness

"Romancing the Shadow has changed the way I perceive myself and the people I love. It's brilliant, compassionate, and challenging--providing readers with a structure through which they can reconnect with their spirit. I use it now to examine every character I am and every character I write about."--Sheri Reynolds, author of The Rapture of Canaan

"The secret is out: all of us, no exceptions, have qualities we won't let anyone see, including ourselves--our shadow. If we face up to our dark side, our life can be energized. If not, there is the devil to pay. This is one of life's most urgent projects."--Larry Dossey, M.D., author of Healing Words

"Throughout this book we are invited to undertake the ordeal and passion of discovering the richness in our individual darkness, thereby creating soulful and expressive lives. The authors restore us to ourselves."--Deena Metzger, author of Writing for Your Life: A Guide and Companion to the Inner Worlds

"This book is a great help to anyone trying to tune in and listen to the voice of the soul. At last, a practical mysticism!"--Coleman Barks, poet-translator of The Essential Rumi

About the Author

Steve Wolf, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist who developed shadow-work and offers psychotherapy in Los Angeles.

Connie Zweig, Ph.D., author of the award-winning book The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul, co-author of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow, and author of Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening, and a novel, A Moth to the Flame: The Story of Sufi Poet Rumi. Podcaster on Dr. Neil's Spiritual Awakening to Non-Duality with her husband. Available on all podcast platforms.